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A weed, by definition, is “any type of plant that grows where it is not wanted.” Clearly, the definition itself says a lot about all gardeners’ issue with weeds. Weed control is something that should be focused on unless garden owners want these nasty little ‘undesirables’ to dominate their lawns and plant life. Yet, however promising various methods are, only safe weed control techniques should be chosen. The most recommended among these is hand pulling, physical barriers, and specialized weeding tools. These are called cultural methods and are considered safe weed control techniques both by experts and experienced gardeners themselves.
Bare or, rather, gloved hands are still your best weapon against weeds like these. Hand pulling the young, since they are still easy to pull, can prevent existing weeds from going to seed. This safe weed control method is the most direct approach that you can use to stay ahead of weeds.
The use of physical barriers is also a safe weed control method that can reduce weed growth in lawns and gardens. There are different types of physical barriers that you can choose from such as fabric barriers and recycled barriers. Recycled barriers include old carpets, appliance boxes, and roofing paper that you can get from your storage room. The use of these is a safe weed control method that can suppress both annual and perennial weeds under wood, stone, and gravel paths. The advantage of using physical barriers is that they don’t need much maintenance and they’re safe for the environment. Once they are installed, they do their jobs until they break down. Using fabric barriers is also a useful and safe weed control method that can prevent weed growth especially in landscaped areas. Two to three layers of these barriers covered with wood chips or gravel is already enough to do the job.
Weeding tools such as dandelion pullers, special purpose weeders, hoes, and cultivators are simple tools that can be effective and safe weed control devices against annual weeds, and those with long taproots such as plantain, dandelions, and poppies. Dandelion pullers are most effective on small weeds. The two types, hand-operated and foot-operated, are quite easy to use. Special purpose weeders such as the Yankee Weeder are safe weed control tools for weeds that grow on cracks and between bricks. Specially designed for this purpose, these weeders are easy to use and extremely effective. Hoes are used on large annual weeds and some perennial weeds. They function mostly by reducing food reserves in roots, therefore, weakening the weeds. Three and four tine cultivators, on the other hand, are safe weed control tools that are most effective against weeds in garden beds. They act by loosening the soil and dislodging shallowly rooted weeds.
Keeping weeds to a minimum and eliminating them can be done using safe weed control methods and tools such as physical barriers, cultivating tools, and specialized weeders. These cultural methods are not only non-toxic and non-polluting, they remove weeds effectively with minimal costs.
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about weed management and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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